Day 2 - A Tale of Three Routes

Day two didn't start out well for me. In the few days before we started the walk I contracted gastroenteritis, lost 5kg in weight and couldn't eat properly. Simon and Russ started day one with a full English breakfast and all I could manage was half a scrambled egg on toast and a couple of Imodium.

Consequently I didn't have the energy to power me through day one so it was very painful and a lot slower than the Malvern Hills practice walk from two weeks earlier. Last night I tried to eat some steak and had an immediate whiteout, felt sick and couldn't eat. So this morning I made the difficult decision not to continue the walk due to not being able to get enough calories into me and you need a lot for this sort of thing.

I was bitterly disappointed when I waved Simon and Russ off this morning. I pottered around the campsite and then got a taxi to the next overnight spot, Llandegla. I could see the ridge my buddies were walking throughout the whole taxi ride and the peaks looked huge. I couldn't believe they were actually up there, tackling it. I mean they are huge, really, really huge. Nine of them!

When I got to Llandegla I rejoined the ODP heading North towards Simon and Russ. I eventually met Russ some 3 miles up the path at 5pm. He looked absolutely knackered, which he was. Reminded me of my day one. But there was something missing, Simon!

Simon had quit after peak two at around 11am with a groin strain after having stepped over one too many styles. He had then left Russ and walked down to the next town and caught the bus to Llandegla. Spent the afternoon talking to the locals at the village fate. You meet a lot of very nice people on one of these walks.

I then came up with a plan to keep us both on the ODP and support Russ much better. The plan is that Simon and I will literally take the load off Russ's back so he carries the minimum weight possible. We will then get a bus or taxi to the next overnight stop and setup camp so Russ doesn't even have to do that. We will then walk North up the ODP until we meet Russ and give him provisions of Mars bars.

So although Simon and I will not be walking the full length of the ODP we will still be walking as much of it as we can, despite sickness and injury, and enabling Russ along the way.

I tell you; this walk is really hard and I get the impression from Russ that he underestimated it a little two. So Simon and I will do our utmost to help Russ get all the way there.

We are now bedding down in the village hall because it is raining outside, and very windy. Luxury.

Support team signing off. Good night.

p.s. Have I mentioned that this is a really tough walk?

Location:Llandegla